Former Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic (49) is attending to his 68-year-old mother who had an operation on Monday in Serbia after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Sredojevic told the Sunday Times yesterday morning while in Istanbul, Turkey, in transit to his home in Serbia, that he was desperate to be by his mother's side.
"I don't want to lose my mother, having not offered my support like it happened with my grandfather, who passed on while I was away," said Sredojevic, who suddenly resigned as head coach of Pirates on Friday night, two days after the Buccaneers had suffered a humiliating 3-0 league defeat against SuperSport United.
"I actually offered to step down before our game against SuperSport as my focus was somehow dimmed by the news of my mother's illness."
Sredojevic was in his last season of a three-year contract with Bucs and was expected to end the trophy drought that stretches back to 2014. Under him, Bucs finished twice as runners-up in the league to Mamelodi Sundowns and also lost in the final of the Telkom Knockout against Baroka last season.
ZAMALEK RUMOURS
"I want to thank Bucs chairman Irvin Khoza for all the support he gave me and I want to say I'm not permanently lost to SA football," said the coach who has spent most of his coaching on the African continent.
But as Sredojevic was travelling, news of him joining Egyptian giants Zamalek gained momentum, with Zamalek president Mortada Mansour quoted in some news outlets confirming Sredojevic's imminent arrival at the club's base in Giza, Egypt.
"I strongly condemn and deny the reports suggesting that I have joined Zamalek," Sredojevic protested yesterday. "What I know is that Zamalek fans have been very vocal in putting pressure on Zamalek president to get my signature."
Pirates' administrative manager Floyd Mbele did not want to entertain questions about Sredojevic joining Zamalek, saying the club is sticking to its statement that the coach resigned for "personal reasons".
"As we said, coach Rulani Mokwena (assistant coach) resumes the task of guiding Pirates and we'll discuss the details of that as we go along," said Mbele, making it clear that for now Mokwena was in a caretaker role.
Sredojevic's resignation also came on the back of a 1-0 loss to Zambian club Green Eagles in the away first leg of the Caf Champions League preliminary round last weekend. The return leg is on Friday in Orlando, a few hours after Bucs had travelled to Durban to play AmaZulu in a league tie.
Mokwena will be assisted by former Maritzburg United coach Fadlu Davids, who was Sredojevic's second assistant.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.